Refuse collection apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for collecting refuse from a discharge chute, consisting of a container positioned below the chute, the container having a plurality of bottom discharge openings, pivoted plates located below the container support collection bags between them and the container and register a bag below each of the bottom openings in the container. The plates, when pivotally swung from a horizontal position, act to tilt the carriers and permit the removal of the bags therefrom, several of the carriers being swung to removal position at a time. The container has side openings closed by inwardly pivotal flaps.

United States Patent Inventor Kurt Henry Smedlund Plefeltsgatan 33, Halmstad, Sweden Appl. No. 803,325 Filed Feb. 28, 1969 Patented Mar. 16, 1971 Priority Apr. 2, 1968 Sweden 4360/68 REFUSE COLLECTION APPARATUS 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl

Int. Cl B65b l/06, B65b 3/06 Field ofSearch 141/10, 67,

68, 272, 236, 247, 248, 281, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 391; 248/(lnquired); 21 1/(1nquired); 53/(1nquired) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 507,542 10/1893 Hunt 141/248x 707,544 8/1902 Bates 141/248x Primary Examiner- Houston S. Bell, Jr. Attorney-Eric Y. Munson llll Patented March 16, 1971 y R r z m V m m W .m 1 4 a s W 1 G I Aw F /7.Y MB U K 6 8 HHufi w 7 A 9 3 2 8.

REFUSE COLLECTION APPARATUS The continuous rise in the volume of refuse results in increasingly urgent demands for economically and technically advanced equipment capable of the effective handling of the refuse from refuse chutes.

Several arrangements are presently available. In one of these, a bag or bin changer removes the bag or bin from the refuse chute as soon as the bag becomes filled. An improvement on this method consists in the refuse being compacted by a compactor, after which the bag is returned to its position below the refuse chute and is transported away when it is full of the compacted refuse. This type of equipment is expensive since it must be designed to operate with a high degree of precision. The installation of such equipment can nevertheless be economically justifiable in cases where a refuse chute serves a large number of apartments.

This invention relates to equipment that is designed to collect refuse in open bins or bags from such sources as refuse chutes. A reliable and simple arrangement is achieved and by means of which several, preferably four, bags or containers can be filled without manual handling of the refuse. In addition, the arrangement insures that the bags or containers are simply and easily changed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of the device;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the device;

FIG. 3 is a view taken at right angles to the view shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of one part of the device; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 show modifications.

Referring to the drawing, 1 shows a portion of a chute from which the refuse emanates. The chute discharges into a square container 2 which is open at the top and is also open at the bottom. The lower opening, shown at 16, is divided into four square outlets by means of crosspieces or stays 3 which are at right angles to each other. The lower part of a vertical shaft 4 supports two horizontal plates 5 and 6 which are pivoted on the shaft in such a manner that they can be lowered to the position shown in FIG. 4 for the changing of bags and can then be returned to the horizontal position. The plates 5 and 6 support the bag carriers 7, each of said carriers being provided at the top with a U-shaped frame 17. In the receiving position, the upper edge of a bag is folded around the U-shaped frame and this part of the bag is clampingly held between said frame and the corresponding one of the crosspieces or stays 3.

The carrier 7 and the corresponding plate 17 are maintained in the receiving position by means of a pivoted arm 8 that is provided with a notch 9 designed to engage with a horizontal bar 10 on the carrier. Each of the plates 5 and 6 supports two carriers.

The two opposed sidewalls of the container 2 located above each pair of carriers are provided with openings 11. Flaps 12 are hinged at the top of these openings and are pivotal inwardly. These flaps are provided on the inside of the openings and the openings 11 can be closed off by means of the flaps 12.

The shaft 4 with the container, plates and carriers is mounted to be rotated so that the bags may be changed from the same side. Instead of plates 5 and 6 which support the carriers, the shaft 4 can support the carriers directly through a hinge-type mechanism at the bottom between the carriers and shaft, by means of which the lowering action shown in FIG. 4 can be obtained.

The apparatus operates in the following manner:

The refuse that is discharged from the refuse chute toward the central part of the container 2 falls into the bags that are located under the four bottom outlets of the container. The bags will thus become filled and a heap of the refuse will form with its top below the refuse chute l. The flap 12 that is located on that side on which the change of bags is to take place is then pivoted inwardly and locked in its inward position or that shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1. By this means, the top of the heap of refuse is displaced toward the opposite side of the container and simultaneously the open flap prevents refuse being thrown down the chute from falling to the side at which the bags are being changed. By this means, apart from the refuse being prevented from falling on the floor, the person who carries out the change of bags is protected from falling refuse. Thus, the flaps 12 have a three-fold purpose: to level off the heap; to prevent the refuse from falling to the floor, and to protect the person who is engaged in changing the bags.

The openings 11 in the walls of the container 2 allow for inspection and also enable certain work to be carried out through them. When the arm 8 is lifted both carriers on plate 6 are lowered as shown in FIG. 4. The filled bags thereon are removed and new bags are fitted on the carriers, whereupon the carriers are lifted up to the receiving position under the container 2, the mouth of each bag registered with one of the square outlets in the bottom of the container 2. The device is then turned through one-half of a revolution, the second flap 12 is opened after the first has been closed, and the remaining bags are removed and replaced in the manner described. When the inturned flap is disposed as described, the top of the heap will have been displaced into the newly fitted sacks or bags. If there is much refuse in the container 2, the procedure may be repeated until the containerZ is empty. Thus, the container serves as a storage chamber as well as a distribution device.

As an alternative, the device can be slidably carried by wheels 13 as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 shows how the container 2 can be carried by the shaft 4 by means of the container-attached tap 14 which fits into an accommodating portion at the top of the shaft 4, which will facilitate the manufacture and assembly of the device.

As shown in FIG. 6, the container 2 can be provided at the top with a flared mouth, the edges of this flared portion being adapted to contact against the wall surface of a space into which the container fits. This will create a funnel effect that the top of the container and the refuse will be prevented from falling outside of the container.

Iclaim:

1. An apparatus for collecting refuse from a discharge chute comprising, a vertically disposed rotatable shaft, a pair of horizontally pivoted plates extending radially from the shaft, a plurality of bag carriers borne by the plates, each carrier holding a bag with the mouth thereof directed upwardly, a container on the shaft and located above the carriers, the container having a plurality of discharge openings corresponding in number to the bags borne by the carriers, the container being open at the top and having sidewalls, each of said sidewalls having an inwardly pivoted flap closure for said wall openings, the carriers being swung outward by downward pivotal movement of the plates, and locking means engageable with a portion of each carrier to hold each carrier in upstanding position.

2. An apparatus for collecting refuse whichemanates from chutes and enters into bins or bags comprising, carriers holding bags open at the top and directed toward a chute, a container located above the open-tops of the bags and which receives refuse from the chute, the container being open at the bottom for communication with the open tops of the bags and through which open bottom of the container the refuse discharges into the bags, the carriers which support the bins or bags including pivot means for being pivoted so that the bags which they carry can be swung to an angular position for removal from the carriers and thereafter swung to refusereceiving position, the bottom of the container having crosspieces, each of the carriers having a frame at the top disposed adjacent to the crosspieces when the bags are disposed upright and at which time portions of the bags around the mouths of the same are clamped between the crosspieces and the carrier frames.

3. An apparatus for collecting refuse into a series of open containers or bags in which each bag is supported by a frame, a container below which the bags are arranged, said container being open at the top and bottom and into which refuse material is deposited, the bag-supporting frames including pivot means and being swingable in and out for the purpose of shifting the bags for filling or removing, characterized by the fact that the container is rectangular and has a bottom opening divided into four quadrants by crosspieces or stays, a bag being arranged beneath each of the quadrants.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the container and the carriers are supported by a vertical shaft located centrally of the container and being capable of rotation, said shaft permitting the outward swing of the carriers in pairs.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the shaft and 

1. An apparatus for collecting refuse from a discharge chute comprising, a vertically disposed rotatable shaft, a pair of horizontally pivoted plates extending radially from the shaft, a plurality of bag carriers borne by the plates, each carrier holding a bag with the mouth thereof directed upwardly, a container on the shaft and located above the carriers, the container having a plurality of discharge openings corresponding in number to the bags borne by the carriers, the container being open at the top and having sidewalls, each of said sidewalls having an inwardly pivoted flap closure for said wall openings, the carriers being swung outward by doWnward pivotal movement of the plates, and locking means engageable with a portion of each carrier to hold each carrier in upstanding position.
 2. An apparatus for collecting refuse which emanates from chutes and enters into bins or bags comprising, carriers holding bags open at the top and directed toward a chute, a container located above the open tops of the bags and which receives refuse from the chute, the container being open at the bottom for communication with the open tops of the bags and through which open bottom of the container the refuse discharges into the bags, the carriers which support the bins or bags including pivot means for being pivoted so that the bags which they carry can be swung to an angular position for removal from the carriers and thereafter swung to refuse-receiving position, the bottom of the container having crosspieces, each of the carriers having a frame at the top disposed adjacent to the crosspieces when the bags are disposed upright and at which time portions of the bags around the mouths of the same are clamped between the crosspieces and the carrier frames.
 3. An apparatus for collecting refuse into a series of open containers or bags in which each bag is supported by a frame, a container below which the bags are arranged, said container being open at the top and bottom and into which refuse material is deposited, the bag-supporting frames including pivot means and being swingable in and out for the purpose of shifting the bags for filling or removing, characterized by the fact that the container is rectangular and has a bottom opening divided into four quadrants by crosspieces or stays, a bag being arranged beneath each of the quadrants.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the container and the carriers are supported by a vertical shaft located centrally of the container and being capable of rotation, said shaft permitting the outward swing of the carriers in pairs.
 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the shaft and carriers are rotatable so that the bags can be changed from the same side.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the container includes opposite sidewalls, each of which has an opening and provided with pivoted closure covers which are swingable inwardly into the container.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the container carries a downwardly extending stud and the shaft has a socket at the top for said stud. 